Refrigerator latch



` Feb. 22, 1944. W, o, BUFKE 25342250 REFRIGERATOR LATCH Filed-April 25, 1942 Ill INVENTOR.

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Patented-Feb. 2z, 1944 William 0. Burke, Rockford, Ill., assig'nor to National Lock Co., Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application April Z5, 1942, SerlalNo. 440,517

Claims.

This invention relates to latches, and the ernbodiment thereof here disclosed is designed particularly for use on refrigerators. The principles of my invention, howeverI may be embodied in latches designed for various uses.

One of the primary purposes of my present nvention is to provide a latch wherein 'the latch bolt when retracted to clear the keeper and permit the door to open will .be automatically' locked or retained in retracted position, so that it will not engage the keeper upon closing movement of the door but will, just as it passes the sufficient to swing the door on its hinges to closed position is necessary.

My invention also contemplates the provision of a latch which is strong, durable and reliable in operation and which can be manufactured and installed at a reasonable cost.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated a preierred embodiment thereof on the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a door provided with a latch embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the latch bolt retained in retracted position; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 showing the latch in elevation. t

Referring to the drawing more in detail, reference character 5 indicates generally the door jamb of a refrigerator cabinet upon which is adjustably mounted the support 3 for a keeper 1 having an inclined bolt engaging face 8.

The door, which is preferably of metal construction, comprises the inner wall 3, the outer wall II, and a face plate I2 opposed to the door iamb and provided with an opening I3 through which the keeper may project into the door body. A sealing strip I4 carried by the door is adapted to seal against the face of the jamb, and the space between the door walls is customarily iilled with insulating material (not shown).

The latch mechanism, which is disposed within the door, comprises a frame or housing vI5 anchored to the door walls and providing a guide for the latchgbolt I3 having a latching portion I1 made preferably of plastic composition and shaped to engage the face 3 of the keeper 1, as 55 illustrated in Fig. 1. It will be observed from rthis figure, and more particularly from Fig. 2,

that the engaging face I8 of the latching portion Il is inclined so that as the bolt is projected across the face 8 of the keeper, the door will be drawn into snug sealing relation with the jamb. The bolt is normally urged into projected position by an expansion spring I 9 interposed between the head of the bolt and a pin 2| anchored in the frame I5 and extending through a slot 22 in the shank of the bolt, so as to permit reciprocatory movements of the bolt.

The bolt may be manually retracted into unlatched position by exerting an inward pressure upon the exposed end of a plunger 23 mounted in the front wall II of the door in position to actuatea bell crank lever 24 `fulcrumed. on a pin 25 with one arm engageable with a pin 26 carried by the bolt, so that actuation of the bell crank lever in a clockwise direction will retract the bolt from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2. Any other preferred meansL mounted upon the outer face of the door may be employed for actuating the plunger 23.

For the purpose of eliminating the exertion upon the door of a pressure sulcient to cause retraction of the bolt by engagement of its inclined outer end 21 with the inclined outer end 28 of the keeper and consequentlyprovide an easy closing door, my improved latch includes means for locking or retaining the latch bolt in retracted position until the door reaches substantially closed position. For this purpose there is mounted upon a pin 23 extending through and between a pair of spaced ears 3l projecting from the body o1 the bolt, one end off a link 32. The opposite end of this link is pivotally connected by a pin 33 with a second link 34 which, in the form illustrated, consists of two legs bent to conform to the general contour of the forward end of the frame or housing I5 and pivoted therein upon a pintle 35 extending from side to side of. the housing. A coil spring 36 mounted upon the pintle has one end anchored back of an abutment 31 struck inwardly from the housing and its other end engaged back of abutment plate 38 extending between and connecting the spaced legs of the link. This spring tends to swing link '34 in a counter-clockwise direction about the pintle 35 toward the position illustrated in Fig. 2.

My novel latch operates in the following-manner:

Assuming that the door is latched in the closed position shown in Fig. 1, an inward thrust upon the plunger 23 will retract the latch bolt into the position shown in Fig. 2, where it clears the keeper and permits the door to be swung open. This retracting movement of the bolt swings the pivot pin 33 connecting the links 32 and34 so as l to dispose the toggle formed by these links in dead held by this toggle mechanism inthe retracted position shown in Fig. 2. Y

Upon closing movement of the door, the bolt in its retracted position clears the keeper 1, but when the door reaches substantially the position yshown in Fig. 2, the abutment-plate 38 carried by the link 34 is lbrought against the end' of the keeper-so asto swing the links away from the plate 38, thereby breakingv the toggle to release v the bolt which isthen projected by the spring I9 against the face' of the keeper, thus drawing the door into ,snugly closed position and latching it in that position.

It` will be apparent vfrom the `foregoing that,

i since onlya Very slight force is required to throw thetoggle past dead center position and release the bolt, only acorrespondingly light pressure against the door is required to close it. This ,closing pressure is very much less than would be required vto close ythe door by forcingthejbolt pastv the keeper against the action of .spring I9. An easy,` closing Vdoor .isy thus provided and injurious jars and strains Yuponthe latch, parts are minimized'.

The structural details of the mechanism illustrated and described may beconsiderably modied without. departingr from thez scope of my .invention as defined inthe following claims.

3 I claim: f

l. In a refrigerator. latch, the Ycombination of a bolt Aadapted to engage a stationary keeper for holding a door in closed position, a spring for projecting said bolt. manually operable means for yretractingv said bolt against the action of said spring, and an over-center' toggle mechanism pivotally connected at one end with the bolt for holding vsaid bolt in retracted position, said mech- 'l anism being positioned in alignment with the keeper to be actuated by the extremity of said keeper lupon closing movement of the door to thereby release said bolt.

2. In a refrigerator latch mechanism, the combination of a bolt positioned to be engaged with a stationary keeper for holding a door in closed position, a spring urging said bolt into projected position, manually operable means for retracting said bolt, a pair of pivotally connected links, the outer end of one of said'links being pivoted to the bolt and the outerend of the other link being stationarily pivoted, a spring for urging said links into over-center position upon retraction ofthe bolt to thereby retain said bolt in retracted position, one of said links being positioned to engage zthe keeper upon closing movement of the door whereby said links are moved past dead center in the opposite direction to release said bolt.

3. In a refrigerator latch, the combination of a bolt positioned-to engage a stationary keeper for holding a` door in closed position, a spring urging said bolt into projected position, means for retracting the bolt against the action of said spring,la link stationarily pivoted at one end, a second link pivoted to the bolt; the free ends of y said links being pivotally connected together, a

spring for urging said links in one direction into over-center position upon retraction of the bolt, and an abutmentportion carried by one of said links in position to be engaged by the keeper upon I closing movement of the door, whereby said links are moved past dead center in the opposite direction to release lsaid bolt..

f v4. A refrigerator latch comprising av stationary keeper, a latch bolt `mounted on'adoor, a spring for projecting said latch bolt into engagement with said keeper to hold the doorin closed posiy tion, means for V`retracting said bolt, and afpair of links pivotally connected together, the free end of one of said links being pivotedto the bolt and the free end of the other link ybeing stationarily pivoted to 'dispose said Vlink in position to be engaged by said keeper upon closing movement of the door. h

5. In a refrigerator latch, the-combinationof a bolt-arranged to engage a keeper when in projected position, a spring for projecting said bolt, manually operablemeansfor retracting the bolt, a pair of pivotally connected links, the free end of one link being pivoted to the bolt land the free end of the other link being stationarilypivoted so as to present a portion of said link in position to be engaged by said keeper upon closing movement of the door, and a spring for urging said links into vover-center position upon retraction of the bolt,

said links being adapted to `be moved into over- .center position in the opposite direction by said keeper against the force f 'WILLIAM o. BURKE. 

